Alcohol Aftermath
by Albert Diyosa
Summary: It seems like alcohol is not in Urumi's vocabulary. Find out why.
1. Chapter 1

**Alcohol Aftermath**

**Albert Diyosa**

Wow. I am back, and I am not Allence of the Weed anymore. Changing my penname was nothing, really. I just felt like I needed change, and so voila, I am Albert Diyosa in an instant.

Okay. I am still writing under GTO just because I love the anime. I just do not know if people still visit this section, but what the heck. I write because I love writing!

I have nothing left to say, but read the story. Haha, and yes, I missed writing fanfiction and reading them, too.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own GTO, and you do not own it, too. Sad, but it is true.

**Nota Bene: **The ones with numbers provide explanations after the story.

**Chapter 1**

Everyone knew that Kanzaki Urumi was vice-free. She did not smoke, did not drink, and the only thing she considered her sweet addiction was writing. Yes, Urumi happened to like writing especially during her free time and when she was at home. She sounded dorky and boring on the social side, but she did not mind. All that she surrounded her world with was whatever was essential—her faith, her healthy and platonic relationships with others, her demanding career—and more writing.

That was until a person named Kikuchi Yoshito appeared and caught her attention.

Yoshito was a good kid like Urumi. He found no interest in alcohol and punching holes in his lungs (1), but his being immaculate from alcohol had to end prematurely. You could blame it on peer pressure, but he was also at fault for even entertaining a friend's request. The question was; did he find pleasure in it?

It was going to be a night he would wish to forget, or probably not.

Three days of seclusion, bonding, and rest from work did not sound bad. Class 3-4 from Seirin High had their reunion in Okinawa, where their celebrity classmate, Nomura Tomoko owned a villa. It had been years since they last saw each other, which was during their Senior High graduation, and everyone were dying to catch up with each other, even the goriest details of the lives of everyone.

Of course, exclusive parties would not be fun and interesting to go to without drinking and a bit of flirting. Those two factors were never absent. It made exclusive parties more than alive. Besides, alcohol releases the real faces of different people, and through it, one could extract the juiciest information.

Alcohol was a deadly weapon, and Yoshito would be one of its victims.

The night was young. Even as it went deeper, no one wanted to rest yet, save for the drunken people sleeping like logs at the sofa with Urumi, who busied herself laughing openly at her intoxicated friends crowding in front of the TV screen and singing—more like shouting their throats out. Since she was the only one who did not plant kisses on beer bottles, she got to see almost everyone losing control of their composure, and falling like heavy logs after. She took responsibility of dragging their bodies on to the sofa, or on to the carpet, giving each a throw pillow for their heads. She also handed glasses of water to them to soothe the burning sensation that the alcohol had left as an after effect. Urumi did not forget checking the individual rooms if anyone planned anything _more-than-physical stuff_ to happen, especially now that majority of her high school classmates were victims of intoxication. She did not want to answer after that. Besides, Tomoko was also with the drunken people on the sofa, snoozing off. Taking responsibility for somebody's _more-than-physical_ actions was more than enough. She was just a visitor.

"Hey Urumi!" her all-time videoke fan classmate, Aizawa Miyabi called. "Don't be a killjoy and join us!" Everyone in class knew about Miyabi's magnificent singing voice and how a certain Fujiyoshi Koji liked it. They did get along way back, but now, they both went their own ways, and Miyabi was now married to a filthy rich executive, currently on a business trip in China. Miyabi and Urumi were co-workers under the same company and under the same division, making their once cold friendship bloom to a new start.

Urumi politely refused, shaking her head as she smiled. There were five of them, crammed in front of the screen as if the wide living room of Tomoko's villa was too small. Aside from Miyabi, Kusano Tadaaki and Murai Kunio were the only men singing out of tune. Yoshikawa Noboru just stood there, smiling like an idiot and looking at them. Uehara Anko liked videoke, too, so she was there. Nevertheless, it was also because of Noboru why she preferred cramming herself with them. It was her only chance of getting uber close to the full-time computer geek, but the secret love of her life.

"Oh come on, Kanzaki! You're no fun!" Kunio yelled, as he handed her the microphone while the song was already playing. "Show us if you're a genius in singing, too!" Tadaaki laughed boisterously.

She could not blame them. The alcohol had completely devoured their insides.

They were 40 (2) in their class, but only half of the class attended because the other half had their schedules fixed already. She was with 19 of them in the living room, including her. Two were with her on the sofa, six were on the floor, five were in front of the TV screen, and the other five—those mighty I-am-still-sober-despite-downing-7-bottles-already people—were having a serious conversation over beer on the other side of the living room. One was missing, and her gut seemed to tell her that her intuitions were correct.

Where was Yoshito?

Urumi browsed her surroundings until her blue-brown orbs led her to seeing a figure, sitting on the ledge just outside the door of the living room. _'Yoshito,' _she thought.

She had enough of shouting classmates, the scent of beer breath and nicotine combined, and looking after her dead drunk classmates, so she decided to step out. Moreover, Yoshito was there, quietly minding his business and looking at the night sky.

**End of Chapter 1**

Alcohol Aftermath is actually a one-time story. Originally, I placed my own characters in the roles of Kikuchi and Kanzaki, but I think they would do perfect for this story (and because I am really running out of creative juices for KxK). I had the original story posted at fictionpress, but I do not use my fictionpress account anymore, so I removed it. Now, I am using it again (obviously), but with a different plot and characters.

**Explanations**:

In the anime and in the live show, Kikuchi does not seem to show interest in smoking, though it was evident in the manga. In this story, I prefer to use the Kikuchi in the anime to fit the story.

I am not sure if they are 40 in their class, but my gut tells me they are. Correct me if I am wrong. Thank you. :)

Oh yes, I have not been updating for like, forever because of my sorry schedule. As of the moment, I am free from school responsibilities, so I am grabbing this opportunity to be alive and write fanfiction as I always did back in high school.

I miss this place.


	2. Chapter 2

**Alcohol Aftermath**

**Albert Diyosa**

I am still getting used to Albert Diyosa, yuh.

**Spoiler: **This chapter does not contain many dialogues. Gomen nasai, minna-san. ;

**Disclaimer: **I do not own GTO, and you do not own it, too. Sad, but it is true.

**Chapter 2**

Yoshito's headache hit him from time to time, and he guessed staying inside would make it worse. It was one of those days when he preferred to isolate himself from the world and to take time shutting up some more. He could use some peace and solitude for the time being. After all, he was on vacation, and his head was not making things easier.

He was not a fan of stargazing, but whenever he would look at the night sky, the stars were beautiful, and tonight was one of those nights. He loved the stars, but not stargazing to be exact. He appreciated those glittering monsters, but he would appreciate them more if his eyesight were not blurry. He adjusted his glasses, but it did not help him even a bit.

It was the first time he felt somewhat dizzy, but light at the same time. He felt like going to bed, and at the same time, he felt strangely free, as if he could do just about anything—yes, even spilling the juiciest secret at the wrong place and at the wrong person.

"Hey, it's no fun isolating your genius butt on a night of alcohol and nicotine sessions." A voice floated from behind him. He turned his head to see who said that and saw…

"Oi, Kanzaki-san." he greeted, his voice sounded groggy. Urumi smiled.

"I didn't know you like the stars." She stood beside Yoshito, who silently sat on the ledge, now looking at the stars again.

"I like the stars, but stargazing isn't really something I'd call fun." He said. "It is just that every night, when I lift my head up to the skies they look amazingly wonderful."

Urumi rested her arms on the ledge, just near Kikuchi's left foot. "You surprise me, boy genius. You don't look like someone who'd appreciate something romantic."

"Life's a gift, after all." He said. "God gives you a box full of amazing yet intricate things in life that push your human understanding to the limits and later finding that the answers to all the hardest questions you've formulated lay in the mere existence of things. People, particularly us—the superior ones—tend to complicate things when the best answer in all our doubts in as simple as pie." Yoshito paused to look at the stars once again, and then continued.

"Look at the stars. They are wonderful even without knowing that Polaris can help you find your way back home, without being aware of the existence of another galaxy, and without having a clue that one of those stars could turn into supernovas and eventually die. They are stars, and they bring color to the monotonous midnight blue blanket covering us. As simple as that, one can feel and see the beauty of those glimmering bits."

Urumi smiled at the tech geek's statement. It was the first time she had heard him speaking like a normal person—without statistics, without hints of sounding like an Advanced Mathematics teacher, and without any taint of human intellect. It was pure wisdom.

"Well said." She applauded. Yoshito smiled at the comment.

Yoshito signaled her to sit beside him, removing his left foot on the ledge, which the young woman gladly followed. It was not so long before the two of them became oblivious from the noisy and alcohol-driven reality they were living as of the moment. The nicotine-filled air seemed to dissipate and the voices of their classmates form the inside slowly minimized, and their shared laughter, evident in their own little world. They recalled their colorful life in Seirin—how it felt feeling all grown up and teacher bashing, how a certain Onizuka Eikichi pushed the reset button in their heads, and how it felt being a kid again when their homeroom teacher came.

Both Yoshito and Urumi qualified in several known and science-specialized high schools all over Japan, but both decided to stay at Seirin purely out of love for the infamous class 3-4. That included Eikichi, of course. He was like the big inkblot that messed up the immaculate white paper. That sounded negative, but no. The inkblot added life to the monotonous white, which meant Eikichi—being crazy but wise at the same time—did not mess them up or anything. He breathed life in them, in a way.

The two seemed to be enjoying each other's presence as they always did in Seirin. Nothing seemed different, actually. Save for the physical changes they underwent.

Yoshito did not lose his glasses, but his physique seemed fit for a part-time consultant for a computer company and a full-time web designer—it was not buffed, but lean. He had grown taller since high school. His hair shortened a bit, allowing people to have access on his actually beautiful hazel eyes, which Urumi liked.

Urumi was still blonde, and had no plans of dying it to black or brown. She liked it that way. She cut it up to her back, saying goodbye to her high school hair that reached down to her hips. What she lacked physically as a student—the womanly curves, that is—she made up today!

On the intellectual side, they were still sharp as ever. On the social side… well, you could not blame their being in demand because of their capabilities. They did see other people, but all of them were clients, and besides, the thought of going out and settling down was not much of their priority right now.

Was that so? No one could tell.

**End of Chapter 2**


	3. Chapter 3

**Alcohol Aftermath**

**Albert Diyosa**

I am back so soon. :D Yes, yes I am trying to maximize my time for writing. After all, school has not started yet, and thank you, **Lizza-chan** for the reviews. :) I truly appreciate it.

Now, let us move on with the story.

**Spoiler: **This chapter may contain a bit of OOC-ness, but it goes with the story.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own GTO and so do you. Sad but true.

**Nota Bene: **The italicized statements are for the characters' thoughts or emphasis.

**Chapter 3**

Time passed, the stars glittered beautifully in the sky, and the two grew more comfortable to each other—actually, even more comfortable than in high school. Yoshito teased, and he seemed to like teasing despite his usual calm state. His teases were not intellectual retorts, but normal—like how a boy would tease the girl he liked. Urumi was giggly and ticklish all over, a side of her only mister boy genius knew just now. He kept on poking his finger on her waist, and she—being ticklish and a girl, still—jerked repeatedly, laughing.

Now, everyone who had known those two would say, 'oh, please, both parties were calm and always collected.' However, the alcohol hit Yoshito's system already, losing his composure and turned him to an ordinary dude who liked girls. Urumi, on the other hand, seemed to be having fun _flirting_ with the boy genius. She might not admit it in front of everyone in fear of what people might think of her, but she liked the feeling. Besides, boy and girl geniuses or not, Yoshito and Urumi were still normal human beings who feel.

Alcohol could make you in some cases, but the probability of it breaking you was fantastic! Darn alcohol could be handy in biological warfare after all!

He was semi-drunk, she could tell even from earlier. He was teasing and tickling her—two characteristics one would not see on a normal basis. Part of Urumi was a bit sad and disappointed for not bringing something like a digital camera to document Yoshito when caught off-guard because of alcohol, but part of her decided to keep that moment a secret between the two of them. She would not bribe nor blackmail him because that seemed unfair.

Unfair had just gotten into Urumi's vocabulary. That was juicy news for a retired fan of teacher bashing.

It was much like being pre-school again. A boy would tease you, and irritate you, poking you, thinking he could make you cry. Instead, you laughed hard as if there were no tomorrows in your world, and shot him verbally, making him shut up and blush cutely.

Urumi liked the thought of that, and that was what she was about to do.

"Stop it, Yoshito!" She said in between laughter.

Yoshito stopped. '_What did she address me?' _He mentally asked.

_Bingo, _she could not help but paint a weak smile on her face. "What's wrong?" She asked, as if she did not do anything.

"Y-you called me by my first name." Yoshito still could not believe it. "That was new."

"What's up with that? I like your name. Yoshito, Yoshito, Yoshito… I can go on forever calling you that."

'_Now, now, darling, we all know that calling someone by his first name meant something.' _For the first time, his thoughts felt rearranged and disoriented, as if a typhoon hit his brain. '_Hey, I just called her 'darling' in my thoughts. Oh, Yoshito, what is happening?'_

Urumi inched her face a little closer to his, looking deeply into his hazel eyes, her smile not leaving. His already flushed cheeks from drinking, blushed intensely red. Mission accomplished. She giggled. "You look so cute when you blush, Yoshito."

Yoshito got her game. '_Cunning as ever, are you, eh?' _He smirked. He cleared his throat, and started to speak in an attempt to change the subject, and see if he could turn things in favor of him. He knew something she was not aware of him learning about it, and it could probably make her shut up, too.

Now, it was like elementary. Your friend would make fun of you, but you could make fun of her, too. Spilling her guilty pleasure could make you win, and could even make you her master. Now that was a good plan. Yes, he was going to use it to his advantage.

"I remember one time; Onizuka-sensei was holding a piece of paper he found inside our classroom. He said he could not grasp some of the words, but he liked it, so I borrowed it from him to see for myself." He placed his index finger on his chin. "I was never a fan of deep, literate, emotional articles, but that one's good—I still keep it with me!

I actually like how that person described writing. It was not something people would see in the dictionaries and in encyclopedias, but it was real. I hate to say this, however sometimes, our superior intellect gets in the way for us to think and feel like a human being should. We tend to use our heads a little too much, that most of the time we fail to realize that there was something more than scientific explanations, theories, and laws.

"Our being human, our being but dusts in the wind, our being limited make us more knowledgeable, even more knowledgeable than any known geniuses the world could introduce, and that is what I saw in the paper Onizuka-sensei handed to me. Let me quote whoever wrote that because it made sense, and I have been dying to share it to you, knowing that you are somehow interested when it comes to things like this."

'_Is it just me, or I think I know what he is pertaining to,' _Urumi's smile immediately left her face, as she turned to look at him. Yoshito continued.

"Writing is much like dreaming, only you get to choose the elements. Writing takes you to an alternate universe, and because you are conscious, you get to choose what happens to you, and to the rest of the story. Yes, writing is much like dreaming—" Urumi cut him off prematurely.

"…but it is the saddest face of dreaming. At the end of every story, you bid farewell to your own version of reality—" She continued.

"…and it is the bittersweet sensation that writing leaves you, and making you want to write more." Yoshito decided to finish the statement, and smiled. "I didn't know you like writing, and I didn't know you have that amazing grasp when it came to your emotions, sweetheart." _'Hey, I called her sweetheart this time. I am never going to have a date with alcohol again.' _Yoshito reminded himself.

"Smartass, I should have known." Urumi raised her hands to show surrender. "You got me there, and you got me good." She looked away to hide her now pink cheeks. "Now you know it, I write. What's up with that?"

"Are you not going to thank me after appreciating your work?"

"Well, sure, thank you." Her blush turned crimson. "I'm not really used to people reading the stuff I write, and I'm not used to getting compliments because of them."

"I like your work."

"You've stated your point, so hush."

"I do."

"I see that, now stop."

"Make me."

"You're being a kid, Yoshito."

"So are you, darling."

Urumi shook her head in disbelief. She recalled how much she admired Yoshito's poker-faced façade and his admiring sense of composure amidst heated situations they got into in high school. She could not believe that inside all that level-headedness was a little boy waiting for someone to unlock him, as gamers do to unlocked monsters. He was amusing and adorable anyway.

Seeing how the alcohol had slowly taken captive of her genius friend, she took a moment to calm herself. Intoxication, after all, was like cancer. You would not feel it in the process of drowning yourself with liquid, but it was already chaining you inside. By the time your temperance would give up, it would make its way to your head, all over your body, and would waste you. She knew that. She was aware of that. She needed not to experience it first-hand to be able to tell its effects. Her classmates just showed it earlier, and so did Yoshito.

She inhaled the cold air around them. The scent of the ocean from under them danced inside her. She was calm now. She realized it was no fun getting even with drunken people. The battle would not be even.

Yoshito quieted, too. He seemed too quiet actually—until a groan managed to escape his mouth.

"My head hurts."

Urumi knew what she had to do so she immediately turned round, got off to her feet, and hurried inside. "I'll be back with a glass of water!"

He nodded. He was alone with the stars again.

**End of Chapter 3**

My, my, this is longer than the first two chapters, but that is fine. I am looking forward to writing the next chapter. :D


	4. Chapter 4

**Alcohol Aftermath**

**Albert Diyosa**

Yay! I have a feeling I would be able to finish this story in the remaining days of my summer vacation! Thank you again, **Lizza-chan** for the review. :)

My summer is nearly over. :( It is okay, though. Almost three weeks of summer (if my calculation is right) is reasonably good. Hello College dear, we meet again.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own GTO, and so do you. Sad but true.

**Nota Bene: **The italicized statements would be for the thoughts or for emphasis.

**Chapter 4**

Just when Urumi thought it was more of a one-sided admiration, Yoshito could not help but find his close to female counterpart attractive, intellectually speaking, and as of the moment, physically-speaking. He had to admit, she had grown from the last time he saw her, which was in high school. Gone were the long, high school-ish blonde locks that went through her hips, and gone were her discreet smiles and insulting smirks.

Yoshito wanted to emphasize her smile. They did not seem fake or scripted anymore. They showed sincerity and sheer gladness, which he rarely saw during their teens. Even if his vision blurred, he could see it perfectly, and feel it. He liked that, and it made him smile. Frankly, and with all sincerity, he liked Urumi.

His alcohol intake might have been a little too much for him. Now, not only was his head aching, it was also disoriented. His thoughts clouded and were not far from the blurriness of his vision despite the presence of his spectacles.

'_And just when did I start admitting that I actually like that little miss teacher basher?' _Yoshito shook his head, as if it would fix it.

Urumi was not aware of his observing her when he would get the chance. He especially loved it when Urumi would flick her pen, raise her left hand, and recite. After finishing her statement, she would tuck some of her hair on her left ear and would give her self a satisfactory smile.

Now that sounded like he had been stalking her the whole time, but no. He could not blame anyone. He had to say it; whoever designated their seats to be beside each other did the right thing.

Yoshito looked at the stars again. His sight was not reliable, but he could tell that it multiplied judging from the brightness of their twinkling. He felt like he was staring blankly in front of a computer screen, barely recognizing what the display was, but the colors blended wonderfully even when blurred. It was exactly what he felt staring alone on those stars. He could not make them that much, but it was still wonderful.

"Here's your glass of water." Urumi came out of the villa, carrying two glasses of water. She handed one to Yoshito while drinking the other one. "Miyabi and the rest of the group surely make lousy drunkards. They've been belting out since this alcohol-crazed party started."

Yoshito placed the glass beside him. "Do you like stars, Kanzaki?"

Urumi gave him a perplexed look. "What made you ask that?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I just want to know."

"They sure look pretty tonight." She admitted. "But looking at stars and seeing something more than those little twinkling monsters isn't really my thing."

"Why?"

"What do you mean, _why?_"

"What's wrong with stars?"

"Nothing's wrong with them, really. Man, you're drunk."

"You don't have to remind me." He said monotonously. "I am fully aware of that since the time I managed to finish my sixth and last bottle, and I'm not completely drunk, just slightly drunk. Tipsy, if you want."

"I can't believe you've managed to keep yourself intact after finishing six bottles of beer." Urumi approached the ledge again, but this time, she did not sit. She only rested her arms on it.

"I can't believe it either, and now my head aches."

"Superbly aching?"

"It is nothing to worry about, though. Don't fret."

"I'm not fretting. I'm just concerned."

'_Concerned?' _their genius heads echoed. Urumi could not believe herself for openly telling that, especially to Yoshito.

Awkward silence covered them. Yoshito busied himself staring blankly at the stars again, while Urumi inhaled more of the ocean's inviting scent just below them. Nobody bothered breaking the walls of ice until Yoshito felt he could not stand the tranquility they were in, and opened up his mouth to say something.

"Would you mind if I ask you something?" He asked, clearing his throat.

"It depends on how deep or how idiotic it can be." She replied. "Spill it."

"When did you start writing?" He just wanted to know.

"I learned that I was able to produce something I consider literature in my standards during grade school." Urumi looked at him, perplexity reflected in her two-hued orbs, but she answered anyway. "You're weird. Why ask?"

Yoshito did not respond to that. "Reading your work truly opened my eyes, and it made me see you differently, when it came to your intellect particularly. You were not just a genius because of the many books you have read, the number of information you knew, or the capability of having a photographic memory of things, insignificant or significant may they be. You were a genius because of how much emotion you have placed in your art." He finally turned to Urumi, his eyes shouted amazement.

"You must've had some sort of inspiration—a muse that whispers to you what to write, even the proper words to use." He continued. "You amaze me, and at the same time, you surprise me. You are like a jack-in-a-box, but instead of a clown springing out, a blinding light greets you."

Oh dear, the poor boy had succumbed to the aftermath of drinking.

"Well," Urumi gave out a big sigh. "Inspiration is one vague concept. I've never been seriously inspired but the words just kept pouring." She stated. "And what is up with the jack-in-a-box?" She could not help but giggle. Yoshito was just so amusing even if he were semi-drunk.

They were silent again. Yoshito still had not made contact with the water that Urumi had fetched for him. As for his head, there was little pain left. Urumi played with her glass, looking at the shore upon them.

The stars were bright and the mood seemed right. The only thing that had to happen was…

"K-Kanzaki?" Yoshito spoke up, swallowing hard. Urumi arched her right eyebrow in response.

'_Darling,' _Yoshito swallowed hard again. _'This is going to be tough.'_

**End of Chapter 4**

Yes, inspiration is one vague concept. I have never been seriously inspired, but the words just kept pouring. Oh yes, sweetheart. :D


	5. Chapter 5

**Alcohol Aftermath**

**Albert Diyosa**

Thank you, **Lizza**-**chan** for the review. :D I greatly appreciate it.

Summer is nearly over. La, la, la, la, laaaaa… back to reality again. :l

**Disclaimer: **I do not own GTO, and so do you. Sad but true.

**Nota Bene: **The statements enclosed in parentheses are Tomoko's messages while statements having a colon before them are Yoshito's. The italicized statements are for the characters' thoughts.

**Chapter 5**

Before this alcohol-crazed and nicotine-induced party started, the formulation of a class reunion occurred. A simple online invitation, a host, and guests did the trick to make it happen. It was all so sudden, but what the heck.

Life after three years of paying his own bills, living solo in an apartment, employment and monthly reunions with Onizuka at his own home inside Seirin High's storage room made Yoshito wiser both intellectually and humanly. He could have been an Advanced Mathematics professor in Toudai, or a Robotics Engineering adviser, but he chose to be a full-time web designer. He thought his parents would not take his decision seriously, considering that, his father was a doctor and his mother was a school director, but they supported him all the way.

Now, he sat on a comfortable computer chair, swiveling it, as a kid would do in a fast food chain, doing layouts, and sometimes hacking websites to kill time. His Photoshop business with his high school teacher ended, and he was the one who chose to end it. He used to surf porn, but later finding that it did not make him happy for a bit or a real man. Porn, for him, was trespassing to the private lives of ordinary people and a sign of insecurity. Well, he could have at least realized that during his teen years.

Yoshito came upon an unused desktop icon on his computer. He clicked it and logged on. It had been years since he last IM-ed someone. Even if his job concerned computers, he could not leave his assignments because of his love and dedication to his web-designing fetish, which was why he had not IM-ed since. He had his mobile phone, sure, but he did not have all the numbers of his high school classmates.

His status was available. A window popped-out.

(Kikuchi-kun!)

He looked at who sent the message and saw that it was from his classmate, Tomoko, the now famous celebrity.

(Finally, you've logged in.)

(I have news for you)

(For the whole class, actually)

Yoshito smiled. It was sweet for Tomoko to welcome him warmly, even online.

:Oi, Nomura-san

:Glad to hear from an old friend.

:What's the news?

He replied.

"Hey, Kikuchi-san, we're going to eat lunch outside. Do you want to join us?" One of his officemates peered on the door of his office. He received an answer from Tomoko, but he had not read it yet.

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm kind of busy catching up here, so off you go." He smiled. His officemate shrugged then left. He read Tomoko's message.

(Kikuchi-kun, let's meet tomorrow for lunch!)

(I'll tell you everything.)

He checked his schedule for tomorrow. Good. He had no commitments for tomorrow.

:Sure, let's meet up.

:I figured I haven't gotten out with anyone yet

:It's a date then

He felt like he could hear Tomoko's squeal in his mind.

(I'm so excited to see you tomorrow!)

(Thank you, Kikuchi-kun. If only I could kiss you, I would right now!)

(Let's meet at Inokashira Park, 12 noon. I'll see you!)

That ended there. Tomoko signed out. Yoshito thought her break time was over. He went back to working again

* * *

It was tomorrow. 

Yoshito showed up ten minutes before 12. He sat on one of the benches in Inokashira Park, looking intently at people who would seem like his old classmate. All that he could recall about Tomoko's physique was her undeniably and noticeably healthy breasts. He could have thought of anything like long brown locks, but he could not shake the fact that it was her trademark.

He saw someone dressed casually, in fact, as casual and as comfortable as his outfit for the day, running towards his direction. Her layered brown hair has gotten shorter, reaching only up to her neck, and my, oh my. Those healthy—it could only belong to one person.

"I'm sorry for being late for three minutes or so, Kikuchi-kun!" Yes, it was Tomoko.

Yoshito felt his lips smiled. She had grown so much he hardly noticed it was she! It had been a long time indeed.

"That's nothing, Nomura-san. Let's go eat." He stood up, and they started walking.

They found a small, but cozy cart that sold quality ramen. They talked about their careers, and how Tomoko found college fun and how she got a degree in Landscape Architecture. Yoshito laughed at her behind-the-scene stories about the shows she was in and her upcoming movie. Tomoko was still amazed by his smartness, but surprised when she heard that he chose to be what he was now. She had always thought he would end up a mad scientist, or something and he just laughed.

Oh yeah, Tomoko's family owned a ramen store, but it closed down when Tomoko's career became stable. She bought her parents a house in Okinawa, where she usually spent most of her time, and since then, they lived there. The ramen house they owned was now an ordinary residential place.

"I just remembered; your family used to own a ramen house somewhere here, right?" Yoshito said as he chewed the ramen.

Tomoko slurped the noodles that were hanging outside her mouth. "Yes, but papa and mama are old now. They need to rest, so I bought them a house in Okinawa, where they now live. I told them that it's my turn to earn money for them, and thankfully they agreed." She played with her ramen for a while, resting her chin on her left palm. "I want to be with them 24/7, but my work does not permit me, so I visit them every chance I get!"

Even if she had grown, she was still the same Tomoko, ever innocent, and ever seeing the world in the eyes of a child. Yoshito admired her for that.

"Let's go back to business, Nomura-san." He scooped with his chopsticks a good amount of noodles. "What is this news you told me about yesterday?"

Nomura chewed her ramen and swallowed them before replying. "Well, the whole class had not seen each other for God knows how long, so I thought it would be nice to have a get-together in Okinawa, at my villa there, all expenses will be paid by yours truly."

Yoshito could not help but gape. He had to guide his jaw to close his mouth. "In Okinawa and all-expenses paid by you?" He could not believe it. "That's insane, Nomura-san!"

Tomoko giggled. "No, it's not insane. It's fun!" She did not seem to get what Yoshito meant when he said it was insane. "It's a good chance of catching up with the rest of the class."

"I can't believe you." He shook his head in disbelief.

"You have to believe me! Urumi-chan's coming!" Tomoko tugged the sleeve of his shirt repeatedly.

'_Urumi's coming? Hey, now wait a minute—' _Tomoko got him there, but how did she knew about his deep, dark secret? "Hey, Nomura-san, did I hear you right? Is Kanzaki coming?"

She giggled. "I knew I can make you come because of her. I knew it all along." She teased, waving her pointing finger at him. "You like Urumi-chan, but you don't want to admit it. You're shy!"

Yoshito blushed beet red, half from embarrassment and half from Tomoko mentioning Urumi's name.

"Come on now, Kikuchi-kun! This might be your chance to get to know her more." Tomoko was now begging, as a child would do to make her parents buy her the biggest doll in the toy store. "Please say yes. Please say yes!"

He could not stand her begging any longer, so he said, "Sure, I'm coming, if that makes you happy." He finished the last of his ramen, still blushing.

Tomoko squealed like a high school girl. "It won't make me the only person who will be happy. I'm sure you'll be happy, too!" She flashed her sweetest smile at him. "We'll have lots of fun there, I promise!"

Yoshito sighed. _'Yes, we will have lots fun of fun there.'_

**End of Chapter 5**

I just thought it would be nice to place the actual beginning of the story in the middle, to break the routine of stories. In addition to that, I thought it would also be fun to cut the thrill in the story even for just a chapter. It will resume, though. :D

I am beginning my countdown until school starts. I will miss bumming.


	6. Chapter 6

**Alcohol Aftermath**

**Albert Diyosa**

My summer is almost ending. Farewell to bum-nation, to fangirl chronicles, to weekly and absurdly fast updates (both here and in deviantart), and to well, super slow flow of life. I would be saying hello to plates, plates, and more plates to come, but hey! Life is not bad, not bad at all. I love doing plates, and I love brainstorming (but only when I can conceptualize easily). I will miss writing, too. I will still write, but it will probably be sporadic considering that, I am in college and I tend to use up majority of my time in school (yes, both bumming and learning, if anyone cares to know).

My summer is almost ending. I say, thank you **Lizza-chan** for being an avid reader of this fic. :D I greatly appreciate it, and the reason why I update so fast is that I am keeping up with my fire for writing fics again. :) It loses the moment I switch myself to academic mode (I know it is weird, but true). Thank you again. :)

Here is the last installment of this fic. :)

**Disclaimer: **I do not own GTO, and so do you. Sad but true.

**Nota Bene: **The italicized statements are the characters' thoughts or for emphasis.

**Chapter 6**

Yoshito gulped as he remembered his 'date' with Tomoko. That included his involvement in this reunion. He could have said no, chickened out, and might probably be working his butt off as of the moment. Now, he had his first taste of alcohol, and it was not a memorable first. More importantly, he was now in a situation he could not escape.

Remember, it was now or next time… or even never.

Yoshito made eye contact with Urumi with all the confidence he could muster. Though she somewhat felt like shying away, she decided to keep the gaze locking he had started.

It had to be now, or next time. That was, if there would be a next time. Yoshito swallowed hard again.

"Uh, Kanzaki…" His voice shook, letting Urumi know that he was dead nervous.

'_Oh dear, could he be?' _Her heart beat faster because of excite and tension. "Yes?"

'_Man up, Yoshito. She is just Urumi.' _He chanted mentally. _'Man up, man up, man up.' _Yoshito never thought it would be this difficult to spit even a word from his mouth.

It was a sad thought that sometimes, geniuses were not so smart after all. For a genius like him, he could not find a way to ease his anxiety and blurt what he had to blurt.

In addition to his being nervous, the noise pollution caused by their screaming classmates inside made the atmosphere a bit off. How could he tell something so important when the noise inside got in the way? He could barely hear his voice.

Urumi's gaze turned to glare, tapping her fingers on the ledge, and looking sternly at the bespectacled boy genius. "Speak. We don't have forever, Yoshito."

Yoshito was not silent because he was collecting his thoughts, but because of what he was feeling inside. He felt as if his insides were riding a roller coaster. Now, both his head and system disturbed him.

'_She said it, we don't have forever Yoshito.' _He kept telling himself in his thoughts. He took a moment to breathe in. Breathe out. He opened his mouth to let the words pour out like rain.

"Our classmates, they are noisy."

That was smooth. The nicest line he ever threw the whole time they were conversing.

"Uh, I can hear that." She arched an eyebrow in reply. Her eyes reflected disappointment. Disappointed, she was. She was. Urumi was half-expecting he would say something—as if he would confess something and would make the night memorable. She guessed he did not have the guts or he probably could not weave the proper words to use.

It might not be tonight. They could have known that earlier. Yes, _they _could have known that earlier. Yoshito gave out a sigh.

'_That was smooth, Yoshito. In fact, so smooth you'd be doomed to keep your head inside a brown paper bag.' _He scolded himself in his thoughts. _'Next time, make sure you've got with you a big sack and throw yourself to the ocean to die.' _

Sweet mother of romance, composure fell at the least expected time. Yoshito could feel sweat trickling from the roots of his hair, down to the bridge of his nose. Urumi noticed that. She placed her right hand on Yoshito's forehead and placed her left hand on hers. There was a manifestation of baby pink tint on each of Yoshito's cheek.

"It's funny for you to sweat like that. Your temperature's perfectly fine." She removed her hand from his forehead. "It must be because of the alcohol."

He shrugged. Relief was what Yoshito felt that time. Thank God Urumi did not think he was nervous or something.

'_He's nervous, all right.' _She concluded. Whoops, Yoshito's thought was wrong after all. "Come inside and I'll take you to your room. The sofa and the carpet are loaded already."

Without hesitation, she grabbed his hand. Urumi did not care if holding his hand would make her feel tingly and jumpy inside. The poor genius boy was now a prisoner of the intoxicating liquid, and he needed help. Drunk or semi-drunk, she could never leave Yoshito. It was a choice. It was _her _choice.

She was positive that Yoshito was going to say something important—something life changing. She was sure of that. He thought so, too. Yoshito and Urumi had been good friends in high school, and being good friends, he always knew what to say. Nevertheless, his thoughts just went blank, obviously leaving him blank.

Everything was blurry. His sight, the night, even Urumi. Instead of it helping him, his glasses seemed to make things more difficult. Urumi was probably right. It was probably the alcohol—the mastermind behind everything that occurred tonight.

Everything was blurry. Nevertheless, there was a manifestation of life around him. It was the gentle grip of Urumi. He returned her grip with a strong one. Urumi felt the change in his grasp, so she turned round and stopped.

"Is there something wrong, Yoshito?" It seemed as if someone was fond of using a certain individual's first name.

He did not respond in an instant. He just stared at her, even if she looked blurry in his sight. Urumi knew something was different. His tired eyes did not look tired anymore. They were serious—dead serious even.

Award silence ensued.

"You said you haven't drunk alcohol yet, yes?" Yoshito suddenly spoke, keeping his eyes locked with hers, and keeping his grip firm.

Urumi nodded. "Alcohol is one element I wish not to make contact with. It's way beyond my limits." She stared back at Yoshito, though she was feeling uneasy already. She could tell something would happen. However, this time, her intuition told her that the probability of what she was expecting to happen was big and fat.

She hoped she was right this time.

"It's like I'm not sure if I can handle its after effects." She continued. She could hear her heartbeat pounding hard on her chest.

Yoshito did not say anything. He just stared, which frightened Urumi a bit. What was up with the staring game? She had no idea.

The boy genius inched closer to Urumi, losing the tightness of his grip. For a moment that seemed forever, Urumi's thoughts switched off, leaving her off guard, but at the same time… blight of all feelings.

Yoshito held Urumi's chin, guiding her to meet his lips. Yes, their lips met, leaving miss super genius shocked. Naturally, she would pull back, and she did. He felt her resisting. He held her left arm, but this time, he held it gently. He did that to avoid Urumi from evading his little gift. After a few minutes of having a tensed arm muscle, Urumi finally relaxed. Her left arm found a comfortable spot on his chest.

It was a chaste kiss, but it meant a lot for the both of them. There were no teasing and hormone-awakening actuations—just a kiss, suitable to spell sheer love.

He tasted like beer. Nevertheless, Urumi liked the feeling. She was right. She was so darn right this time.

Five seconds of euphoria, oh yes.

Yoshito ended their unusual encounter, slowly inching his face away from the now startled and blushing crimson super genius. Her fingers found her lips. The feeling of his lips on hers earlier was still fresh as birth. Yoshito smiled contentedly. What he could not form using words, he showed in his actions.

Urumi removed her fingers from her lips and looked up at Yoshito. "Wow, so much for intoxication."

"You can say that again." This time, it was his turn to marvel at the fresh and not to mention new feeling of their 'after-kiss.'

Urumi giggled. Yoshito snickered. Soon enough, they were laughing for no apparent reason.

Urumi did not have to try drinking alcohol to know if she could take its aftermath. It was all thanks to her dear genius friend.

'_Tonight, I had my first bittersweet taste of alcohol, and tonight, it'll be my last.' _Urumi mused. She smiled at Yoshito, as they held hands and looked at the night sky again.

The stars were beautiful, and so was their night.

Yoshito vowed never to drink alcohol again. As for Urumi, she hoped that moment would happen again—of course, with the absence of the bitter-tasting, composure-destructing liquid known as alcohol. Yoshito hoped that, too.

**End of Chapter 6**

Congratulate me! I have finally written the last chapter of this fic. :D Congratulate me congratulate me! Okay, I am being weird here.

This is just the end. We all know that in death, there is a new beginning. This does not end here. Creative juices are still pouring. :D

My summer is almost ending.

P.S. I felt a bit uh… queasy writing the chaste kiss part. Yiigh. Do not ask.


	7. Chapter 7

**Alcohol Aftermath**

**Albert Diyosa**

My summer has officially ended. We just had our enrollment earlier (and I am not yet done!). Hey me, say hello to you dear College again! School is fun. I missed my block mates and my professors, too.

I decided to make an epilogue because I want to, and well, I just want to write more.

**Lizza-chan: **Thank you:D I cannot wait to read your works, too. Do write, okay. :D Moreover, I am hoping that my school would not kill me with plates. Thank you again. :D

**Prototype00: **Thanks for the comment. :D In order to improve my 'word-weaving,' I practice my English verbally, and write whenever I can. I also read the dictionary. I started reading five words per day until I finished at least two pages a night. It would help also, if you would refresh your vocabulary now and then, (which I failed to do XD) and just practice. :D Do have someone who would check your grammar. Most importantly, have faith that you can master your way with words. :D

Now, let us move on with the super final chapter of the story. Have a happy reading. :D

**Disclaimer: **You get it. I do not own anything in this world. I am just a happy fan, inspired by GTO to write. The end, no more asking.

**Nota bene: **Statements enclosed in parentheses are Tomoko's messages, while Yoshito's messages are the ones with Y's before them. Italicized statements are characters' thoughts.

**Epilogue**

It was work for Yoshito again. Two months have passed after their reunion in Okinawa. Since he already did 95 percent of his work at home, it gave him a reason to slack for a moment in his office. It was time for IM-ing again.

A window popped.

(Kikuchi-kun! It is I again!)

What a pleasant surprise. Tomoko was online. He smiled.

Y: Oi, Nomura-san. How are you?

(Everything's fine. My shoot is rescheduled later that's why I am able to go online again. How about you, how is everything?)

Y: I'm having a blast, surprisingly. Even if all I do here in the office is design, design, and design some more, I'm enjoying it.

(Glad to hear that you're enjoying your work.)

(I'm enjoying mine, too)

There was a five-second pause, then Tomoko IM-ed.

(So how were you in Okinawa?)

(I got drunk early, so I guess I was able to miss a lot.)

(Oh, I won't drink alcohol again! It's bitter!)

(It was my first time, actually.)

Yoshito mused. It was like what he said in Okinawa. He would never drink alcohol again. Alcohol was like a puppeteer, and he became its puppet for a night. It made him lose his composure. Worst, he was able to do one thing he most certainly frightened doing.

Y: Yeah, I had fun

Y: And I got semi-drunk that night.

Y: My head ached

Y: But generally, our reunion was fun.

(That's it?)

Yoshito could imagine Tomoko sporting a disappointed look.

Y: What do you mean by that?

(Well, aren't you going to tell me something?)

(Like did something memorable happened or what?)

Y: Well, there is one thing.

(What one thing?) He felt as if he could see excitement in the eye of his friend. He could not help but smile.

Y: Let's just say, I did one brave act that night.

Y: I won over my fears

Y: Did what I thought was impossible

Y: Stepped out in faith

Y: And BAYM! It was one of God's greatest blessings.

(Well,)

(I don't exactly get you, but whatever you mean)

(I'm happy for you!)

Y: Thanks, Nomura-san. I am glad I was able to show up in our reunion.

(It was nothing, Kikuchi-kun.)

(I missed you guys a lot, so I thought)

(Why not hold a reunion to catch up on things.)

(And I'm glad it was a success)

(Though I really wished I could've seen what happened to you.)

(Bah! I'll never drink again!)

Yoshito chuckled.

(Did I not tell you that you would have fun, right?)

Before Yoshito could type his reply, a timid knock echoed around the place, followed by the creaking of the wooden door of his office.

"Oi, almighty geek, you have a visitor." A voice floated, and it was not just any voice. It sounded familiar. Yoshito turned round to find…

"K-Kanzaki-san?" his high school approach to anxiety was attacking him again. He could feel his hands becoming wet out of nervousness, surprise, delight, and not knowing what to do. Only Urumi could distract him like that.

"Yes, it is I, in the flesh, visiting an adorable geek like you." She smiled, approaching him. As soon as he was an arm away, she reached out and pinched his left cheek. "I would greatly appreciate it if you would practice calling me by my first name. Okay, Yoshito?"

"Sure Urumi, I'll practice calling you that." It was odd for him to address someone from the opposite gender by her given name. It sounded extra friendly for him, but he liked it anyway. He loved her name very much. "Can I call you darling instead? It's a lot easier for me."

Urumi let go of his left cheek. "Dream on, boy genius. I like my name, and I like it when people—especially you—call me by my given name." She reached out for something inside her handbag. "Besides, calling someone darling is cheesiness, and cheesiness is not good for us. I do call people darling and/or sweetheart because they are my friends, and well," she paused. Urumi blushed and looked away, and then she proceeded. "You are more than a friend. You're… like an answered prayer—one of my answered prayers."

Yoshito could melt any minute now. He could feel his cheeks turning bright red. He was dead sure it was not flattery. Urumi could never form those words just like that, lest she truly meant it. He smiled. Just when things were about to start to become, uh, intellectually romantic, Tomoko buzzed him. He nearly forgot he was chatting with her.

"Oh yeah, I was chatting with your best bud, Nomura-san since earlier. Do you want to tell her something?" He cleared his throat, regaining his usual poker face.

"Tell her, I said hi, and that if we could meet up and catch up some more." She, too, went back to her usual serious expression. "I'll just go to the washroom and make myself up. I sure don't want to look stressed or what in our first date." With that, she left him. Yoshito went back to typing again.

Y: Sorry about the late reply. Urumi came here just now.

Y: She said, hi, and that she wanted to meet you.

It felt like he could hear Tomoko's squeal from wherever she was.

(That's great! I want to see her, too!)

(Tell her I'm free next week.)

(Tell her I'll treat her for lunch!)

(I am so excited!)

Yoshito delighted himself at the mental image of Tomoko jumping on her seat.

Y: Sure, I'll tell her that.

(Thank you, Kikuchi-kun!)

(You are such a friend.)

(By the way, you haven't answered yet)

Yoshito paused for a moment. He remembered the day Tomoko told him he would enjoy the reunion and the night Urumi and he shared. A smile crept its way on his face.

Y: Oh yeah, about that

Y: I had fun.

Y: It was just like what you told me when we ate out.

Y: You were right, Nomura-san.

'_You were perfectly right.' _He said in his thoughts.

Yoshito logged off and shut his computer down. He lazily reclined the backrest of his seat and pondered just how things were as of the time being. He hoped that if things would change, his newfound love for a certain super genius would remain the same. She secretly hoped that, too.

From there, their intellectual, levelheaded commitment blossomed.

**End of Epilogue**

Yay again! I am finally through with this story. I hope that I will be able to write more. :D I had fun writing this one. Now, it is back to school for me in a few days…

Goodbye to freedom from plates I will surely miss you.


End file.
